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  alloween….the
very word conjurs up images of trick or treating, costuming, and
magical revelry. With a rich and varied history, Halloween has been
viewed by some as a best loved holiday. However, today’s highly
commercialized era of pre-packaged costuming and high end products
bears little resemblance to Halloween’s past. Thankfully, more
and more Halloween-o-philes are returning to the vintage and old
traditions unique to this Holiday.
Of course, we at Big Town Farmer are heartily in favor of anything
that brings back old world charm, old-fashioned creativity, and
just enough whimsy to enchant the young and young at heart.
So, journey with us as we take you through the lore, crafts, and
other curios to make your own Homespun Holiday!
The Ghost of Halloweens Past
The origins of Halloween wereVERY different than our modern version.
It originally began thousands of years ago as a Pagan ritual of
the Celtic peoples of Britain and Northern Europe. Then, it was
known as Samhain (pronounced "Sow-en") and it marked the
end of summer, and the commencement of the New Year. As was the
belief at the time, the end of the old year and the beginning of
the new would leave to a gaping space in time where spirits of the
dead would be able to talk and walk amongst the living. Thus began
the earliest known versions of “The Day of the Dead,”
and the predecessor of what we know as Halloween.
Several customs used today are linked directly back to this festival
and survive today, despite the passage of time, and even it's near
interruption by the Church. Indeed, Early Christianity attempted
to stop the "heathen" (i.e. pagan) proceedings, and one
method of doing this was to superimpose their own holidays over
the pagan ones. Thus, the Holiday was known as Hollowmas, a time
for prayer and recognition; November 1st was the "hallow"
(literally "sacred") for lesser known saints, called All
Saints Day, and November 2nd was All Soul's Day. While these customs
also survive, the pagan rituals continued, sometimes on the days
before the Hallowmas. This day was eventually called All Hallows
Eve, and then finally known as Hallowe'en.
Eventually, these customs migrated through land and time, and as
Irish and English immigrants made their way to the New World, so
did their traditions. The notion of carving and carrying turnip
torches on Hallow's Eve, to keep the evil spirits at bay was much
better suited to the Native American Pumpkin. The idea of being
"tricked" by evil spirits that did not get a "treat"
was eventually made into a fun Halloween pastime for children. Witches,
goblins, and devils were a thing of fun, not of fright.
Finally, America embraced Halloween in all of it's glory during
the Victorian Era. The mystery, and magic of the holiday seemed
a perfect fit for the Victorians, who were perhaps willing to "break
out" of their rigid daily moral code and embrace the imaginitive
side, or perhaps it appealed to the strongly romantic notions of
the time. Whatever the case, the "Golden Era" of Halloween
(1880's -1930's) saw a marked enthusiasm for trick-or-treating,
and Halloween parties for both children and adults. Many of these
played on notions of foretelling the future, game-playing, and general
mystery.
In 1910 American manufacturers, following these cues, began supplying
items specifically pertaining to the holiday. The most prolific
of these appears to have been The Dennison Party Company, whose
"Bogie Books" and "Dennison's Party Magazine"
enjoyed more than a decades worth of circulation. In both, they
advise the perfect "hostess" on the decor, food preperation,
and costuming of Halloween. It also helped sell the company's products,
which happened to be party items. Eventually, other magazines (McCall's,
Modern Priscilla) and more included advice, tips, and products on
how to celebrate the "perfect" Halloween.
From these sources, we have a clear picture of the winsome world
of Halloween. It's homespun, vintage charm appeals to both country
and city living, we think the food, crafts, and other tips might
just work for YOUR Halloween party.
So if you're interested in something just a LITTLE different, click
on the links below for a delightful look at at Halloween:
Daring
Decor
"Witch"
Crafts
Festive
Food
YesterYear's Parties
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